Ram temple donation case: Congress questions RSS, asks why agencies are silent on ‘big thieves’

Continuing its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Congress on Saturday (July 4, 2026) asked why Central investigative agencies had failed to act against the “big thieves” in the case.

The party also said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) could not absolve itself of responsibility by merely issuing a statement.

Addressing a press conference, Uttar Pradesh Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Misra dismissed as “crocodile tears” the statement issued by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on the alleged theft of offerings at the temple.

Ms. Misra said while “they (the Congress) were worshippers of Lord Ram, the BJP were merchants and traded in the name of Lord Ram”. She alleged that the BJP and the RSS were now trying to distance themselves from the controversy through a “scripted statement” and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue.

Ms. Misra said senior office-bearers of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust were associated with the RSS and that the alleged theft of offerings had taken place under their watch. Naming Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao, she asked whether these functionaries, who were at the helm of the Trust, were linked to the RSS and, if the organisation was genuinely distressed by the incident, why no action had been taken against them.

She also questioned why no FIR had been registered against senior Trust officials and why accountability had not been fixed on those responsible for overseeing the temple’s administration. While lower-level employees had been arrested, senior functionaries of the Trust had been shielded, she alleged.

Targeting the BJP government, Ms. Misra asked why agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department had not acted despite what she described as large-scale financial irregularities linked to the temple.

She alleged that there was no proper accounting of offerings received from devotees across the country, including around 1,250 Ram Shilas and jewellery worth crores of rupees, and noted that the Trust had been kept outside the purview of the Right to Information Act.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s November 9, 2019 Ayodhya verdict, Ms. Misra said the apex court had entrusted the Union government with the responsibility of facilitating the construction of the temple and the formation of the Trust. Therefore, she argued, both the Centre and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh could not evade responsibility for the alleged irregularities.

Accusing the BJP of using the name of Lord Ram for political purposes, Ms. Misra reiterated the Congress’ demand for an investigation into the matter under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.